Creating Your Best Self

BY LISA S.T. DOSS

All the great intentions of a New Year’s resolution often lead to broken promises. It’s not your fault, nor should you place blame on dashed hopes. The goal, perhaps, was unachievable. The bar raised too high! Rather than repeat everything just to obtain the same expectation, consider choosing a concrete plan to address your goals, dreams, and the passions which bring you happiness. The resolution to transfer into 2022 all the positive qualities to create your best self is already present. There’s no need to invest or change who you are; instead, it will take reflection and determining how to impart your most positive qualities and skills across 12 months!

MIRROR, MIRROR

“What we think, we become.” ~ Buddha

Reflecting is not the same as staring into your reflection. Go beyond the exterior of self and think about who you want to be. Perhaps those goals identify words, such as being more “patient,” “kinder,” “giving,” less “judgmental,” and “willing” to say yes, instead of no. Next, consider what raises your frustration level and brings out a negative characteristic. It’s easy to make changes by tuning out, shutting down, and walking away.

FRIENDSHIPS

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” ~ Mark Twain

The people in your inner circle have a significant impact on your wellbeing. Whether it’s family or friends, colleagues or teams, other individuals’ daily interaction can influence or drain your spirit, thoughts, beliefs, and motivation levels. Any success you have threatens their feelings of inadequacy. Of course, this is not your battle to fight. The desired outcome is choosing the positive, seeking a circle that encourages, supports, and challenges ideas and thoughts positively. Eliminating the toxic associations is within itself a difficult task; yet, rising to a higher standard will manifest positive outcomes!

DREAMS TO GOALS

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

It begins with the creation of thought that can take any shape or form. For instance, perhaps you dream of becoming a proficient swimmer, learning to play the violin, taking a new career path, starting a business, or buying a home. Goals are realized when you are ready to take the dream and provide it with the focus and attention it requires. How can you take the first step? Research. Make a phone call. Ask questions. Assess your finances and determine a means to start saving money. The daydream is a mental picture; don’t wait without grabbing the first puzzle piece stretching from imagination to reality!

THE EXTRACURRICULAR

“Being creative is not a hobby; it’s a way of life.” ~ Unknown

Determine what activity gives you peace, happiness, and promotes a therapeutic quality or mental escape. While some people name sewing, painting, cycling, dancing, photography, soapmaking, or reading, you, too, can find that extra something that is a gift. Hobbies take us from our everyday routine and provide an opportunity to hone a skill. Even though it may seem daunting to add one additional item to your to-do list, a hobby offers benefits that often make up for the time they require! While some hobbies are solitary endeavors, many encourage social interaction to share our passions and form new relationships. Studies conclude that social connections are components of what drives happiness and meaningful life. What hobby will you endeavor to begin?

A new, blank slate is symbolic, as we consider the potential for a new year. We learn from looking back, while reflecting upon the unknown, unwritten possibilities of tomorrow. They can be bright, with you guiding the path and deciding where to begin. Creating your best self takes time. You have all year to try, learn, tweak, and assess. Don’t wait! A year from now, you’ll wish you had started today!

WE’RE BACK!

Venture Club is a summer day camp for our community that exists to provide a fun, active, and growing experience for kids in Kindergarten through 8th grade. It’s our goal to create an excellent environment for campers to know they’re valuable, cared for, and safe every single day while they make new friendships, form new memories, and experience new adventures. Now that Venture Club is open again, we can’t wait to have your family be a part of our summer day camp family!

What does an average week in the life of a Venture Club camper look like?

Campers begin their morning warming up with fun games together before they break out into their individual grades for a day perfectly crafted for their specific age. Venture Club is able to fully take advantage of the wonderful Calvary campus and utilizes every single area for the most fun possible. While our younger campers get some energy out on the playground chasing their friends, our older campers get a chance to showcase their chalk art skills, go round after round in 4-square, or aim for the fences in a giant game of kickball. All campers get a daily morning and afternoon snack on top of a delicious, hot lunch prepared by our year-round kitchen staff.

Depending on the day, campers will head off on one of their many weekly field trips to work on their putt-putt game, see all of the amazing animals at the North Carolina Zoo, scream with joy as they conquer giant roller coasters at Carowinds, or play a round of sharks & minnows at the pool. Each day is carefully planned to include healthy rhythms of excitement and rest that give our campers the benefit of consistency with a happy anticipation of what’s next. Once the field trip is complete, our younger campers get opportunities to rest or read while our older campers get time for board games and structured screen time. Sometimes the end of the day will include all of the Venture Club grades together as we watch the next generation of musicians and artists show off their abilities in a talent show, transform part of our campus into a big-screen movie theater experience, or simply come together for a much needed silly dance break.

What defines Venture Club?

Every single camper and family matters. Our hearts broke this past season as many circumstances left kids and parents feeling isolated, unwanted, or uncared for. One of the main reasons Venture Club exists is to let families in the Triad area know that there’s at least one place where kids can learn and experience where their true value comes from. This belief begins in the hiring process as Venture Club recruits and develops amazing counselors and leaders who are there because they want to form positive relationships with campers. Our staff works hard, plays hard, and sees every single moment at camp as an opportunity for encouragement, support, and care. Even though parents have unfortunately aged out of Venture Club as a camper, it doesn’t mean that they’re unimportant! Venture Club also desires to partner with parents by encouraging them weekly, providing resources on navigating the world of parenting, and taking time to get to know the unique beauty of each family.

How do I sign up my camper?

Registration opens in January! The first day of camp is June 6 and we’re open weekdays from 7:30a–5:30p every week until August 12. Camper spots will be limited this summer to allow the growth and development of staff to meet our standards of excellence for your family. For more information go to calvarynow.com/ventureclub.

It’s Okay to Let Family Go

BY GEN CONDON

GrowinG up, I was always surrounded by family. I must preface this by sharing that my mother had 23 brothers and sisters. 14 girls and 9 boys. There were aunts and uncles, cousins, and more cousins, that I grew up around. Our family expanded every year, and it was a constant celebration of life and growth for our family.

At our family reunions we all had to wear name tags because with all that extended family it was hard to keep everyone straight. And as the younger ones grew up and had families of their own, it became even more confusing; the family tree grew larger and larger.

But then, some reunions we skipped out on, or some family members stopped coming around. I was younger then, more upset that favorite cousins weren’t around to play with and didn’t understand why. Why family left and why we let them go so easily. Shouldn’t we fight for them? Ask where they are? In my young mind, saying sorry would make it all better.

As I got older, I began to understand the dynamics of family and that sorry wasn’t always enough. Not everything is so simple and complex at the same time. We hear that “family always comes first,” “honor thy mother and father,” and “always respect your elders.” While there is truth to these, I realized that sometimes it isn’t so simple. Even family can cause heartache, pain, and have major disagreements. Some of these require space and time to heal; others may call for something more drastic, like letting that family member go.

It’s not easy saying goodbye to someone you thought would always be in your life. But pain, stress, disrespect—it doesn’t matter who it comes from, it is our job to protect ourselves from these things, even if it comes from family.

The thing is that the loyalty to family for many is deeply rooted, making us willing to put up with mental hardships, abuse, and what, for much less important reasons, we would cut others out of our life for. The truth is that it doesn’t matter where the abuse comes from, from whom or why, we are our own protectors. As we grow and expand our own families, we must realize that sometimes, letting people go from our lives is protecting those we love. The families we create. The families we grow.

So, as I think back to my younger years and wonder where family disappeared to, or why suddenly someone was uninvited to parties and events, I realize that my parents were protecting our peace, and for that I am thankful.

Family will always be family, but it is okay to let them go. It’s okay to save your peace, to embrace your happiness, and do what is needed to preserve it.

Featuring FarmGirl Arts

sheep breed has unique fiber characteristics. Some wool is finer and smoother, ideal for wet felting, while others like Suffolk sheep wool are naturally shrink-resistant with elasticity and loft, perfect for needle felting and knitted socks and hats! Working with wool and producing socks combines spirituality, ecology and art in my life which is very fulfilling.”

The open forum of a marketplace provides a refreshing getaway from shopping aisles. Each venue offers a unique setting that may include activities for children, live entertainment and an array of foods. The curious shopper discovers she has direct access to fresh and locally grown fruits, herbs, flowers and vegetables, dairy-based products, proteins, homemade goodies and artisan-based, handmade crafts. The welcoming man, woman or couple behind the table provides a small sampling of popular items. Whether you are a first-timer or repeat customer, take the time to introduce yourself, ask questions and inquire if owners receive visitors, offer a produce box or have a farm store. The answer may be “yes” or “it’s coming soon!”

Cobblestone Market

Moving next door to 1007 South Marshall Street in Winston-Salem is just one phase toward the permanent vision of Cobblestone Farmer’s Market. The historical aspect of the marketplace well-suits the location of Old Salem, continuing the tradition of welcoming the town and travelers to buy homegrown, handmade or homemade quality goods and products from more than 35 farmers, growers and local artisans. Between the Saturday hours of 9:30 AM to noon, shoppers have the opportunity to meet the vendors or order in advance, scheduling a pick-up by 10:00 AM. The timing is perfect to meet Laura Frazier of FarmGirl Arts, a vendor who sells homegrown, hand-dyed sheep wool skeins, socks and hats!

Discovering a Purpose

Laura Frazier is foremost an artist. While exploring how to use her father-in-law’s Suffolk sheep wool, in 2008, she visited a fiber farmer in Asheville who raised alpacas and adorable black and white Jacob sheep. The experience posed a question that initiated her journey into a new artistic venture – needle felting. Upon learning that many shepherds discard each fleece weighing between four to six pounds due to its minimal market value, Laura sought to find a purpose for the renewable resource. Laura shares, “I have learned a tremendous amount since I first started. For instance, each

Traveling

The process begins with relationships. “It’s a real honor and privilege to meet the shepherds and their families from whom I buy additional Suffolk sheep wool and to experience the extraordinary landscapes from six shepherds spanning from Virginia to North Carolina,” shares Frazier. “On the farms, the shearers deftly remove the soft and fluffy wool, and I select the best quality fleeces for socks and hats. After removing debris, poop and short fibers, hundreds of pounds of wool are sent to a mill in Michigan, where it is spun into yarn or carded into fluffy batts for needle felting. The yarn is then shipped to Minnesota, where it is knit into elegant, long-wearing crew socks on antique machines.”

The Art of Hand Dying

Inspiration arrives when passionate spinners, weavers, quilters and knitters gather to discuss their successful strategies and techniques, whether through social media, at a local group or attending North Carolina’s fiber fairs and festivals. “These friendships are really important; the connections, whether weekly, monthly or annually, keep me inspired,” Laura shares. “It’s how I got started with natural dyes. We all brought a pot of something to dip our yarns into, experiment and exchange ideas about specific plants and herbs. I prefer smallbatch dying. Like the farmers’ trade, this is an art. I want to do it myself.” All the wool for dying, whether socks or yarn, must first be mordanted so that it will take the dye. Some dyes achieve their color with the combination of dried handpicked flowers, walnuts or the powdered form of the cochineal beetle before simmering into a 180-degree bath. Colors include warm variations of orange, tan, gold, and yellow, as well as bright reds, yellows, purples, blues and greens. Followers on Laura Frazier’s Facebook page, “FarmGirl Arts: Wool and Fiber Arts,” can learn about “everything fiber” from posts, pictures, videos and market schedules! For additional information, go to farmgirlarts.com or call 336.971.3834.